The present invention relates generally to optical interconnect systems and, in particular, to optical interconnect systems that create more than one optical link.
Many modem systems benefit from optical interconnect systems. Optical interconnects can carry a large amount of information and operate very fast. One known mechanism for making optical interconnects involves coupling a laser light source to an optical fiber. The laser light source emits light that travels through the fiber to be received at the other end.
Efficient coupling from the laser light source to the fiber is achieved when the fiber is very well aligned with the laser light source. Often, the tolerance of the alignment is on the order of one micron. Manufacturing optical interconnects with these tight manufacturing tolerances can be very expensive, in part because connectors capable of achieving the tight tolerances are expensive.
Traditionally, when multiple optical links are created, one fiber is attached at a time. As the number of optical links increases, the manufacturing time and expense also increases. In addition, the manufacturing yield can suffer when fibers break or become misaligned.
Accordingly, a significant need exists for a method and apparatus for providing optical interconnects with larger manufacturing tolerances.